Walter is a lifelong Hamiltonian and former steelworker for 30 years. He holds a BA in labour studies from McMaster University and in 2009 Walter returned to school full-time to earn a Diploma in Heritage Conservation at Niagara's Willowbank School of Restoration Arts. He has operated Furlan Conservation on Barton Street East since 2013. A father of three grown sons, Walter and his wife Liz live above their shops on Barton.

He teaches at Willowbank and is a member of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s committee on Window Conservation. He was a contributor to the Sherman Hub, a member of the city’s cycling and heritage advisory committees, and has presented at local, provincial, and national heritage conferences and events. You'll often see him driving around Ward 3 his 1953 GMC pick-up truck, made in Oshawa with high-grade Hamilton steel.